


The Night That Santa Came To Town

by TheEmpressAR



Category: Whose Line Is It Anyway? RPF
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:01:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23506522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEmpressAR/pseuds/TheEmpressAR
Summary: A Christmas Whose Line Fic
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

Ryan opened the door to his cluttered but comfortable home. It was tough being the youngest in a family of boys. He was always tripping over something. He looked down into the shy brown eyes of his best friend in the world and the biggest happiest smile lit his face. "You made it!" He said pulling the older boy into the house. Colin's dimples pressed his red cheeks a combination of blush and cold and he laughed quietly as he was pulled into the house. Ryan shook his shoulders a bit knocking off the snow that had accumulated on his overcoat. He reached up and yanked the wool cap off of his head revealing the thick mat of brown hair clinging wetly to the skin of his neck. "Hey, watch it." He said as Ryan scuffed his hair. He pushed him towards the living room. "Where's Greg?"  
  
Colin said softly surveying the piles of newspapers and wrapping paper and clothes and books and boxes all stacked in the modest living room. He carefully avoided their dog, which had come bounding up to greet him. Colin was allergic to dogs and even though he loved Sparky, Sparky would be of no use to him tonight. He wanted to stay happy. He sneezed anyway. "Get outta here...Spark." Ryan said picking up the dog and tossing him out of the room. "Greg'll get here eventually." Ryan said flopping down on the couch. Colin looked at him with admiration. He always had such a hard time living in his own skin. But Ryan seemed completely comfortable despite his gawky stage in life. Maybe it was because Colin was older that it seemed to matter more to him, but then again he always seemed the more reserved of the bunch.  
  
He stood in the middle of the floor unsure of what to do next, hands stuffed in his pockets looking at the Christmas tree for lack of anything better to do. Ryan paid him no attention. Colin would get comfortable in his own time, he always did. Eventually he would shrug out of his jacket and ease his way over to the couch. Ryan propped his feet on the end table and waited. He was also waiting for doorbell to ring again. He was glad that both Mrs. Mochrie and Mrs. Proops had allowed both Colin and Greg to spend Christmas at his house. If it had been warm enough the would have been outside in his Sleeps-5 comfortably...3, if your a Stiles tent enjoying lots of junk food and ghost stories and talking about girls and all the stuff kids their age do. But as it was, they would probably go outside tomorrow for snowball fights and making forts and getting hot chocolate. It always took coaxing for Greg. Ryan sometimes didn’t know why he hung out with the finicky complaining boy. He never wanted to do anything but bitch and moan. Well there was a different side to Greg, he knew, and it was that side that kept him on Ryan's top friend list. Musing about Greg must have inadvertently cause the doorbell to ring faster and Ryan bounded off the couch to go and answer it. He left Colin standing in his red sweater to peek around the corner and welcome his friend in his own quiet way. "Get in here you...I oughta..." Ryan said swinging the door open and pulling a fist back. Greg stood outside rocking back and forth nervously fidgeting and bouncing in the cold.  
  
"It's ffff--reezin' out here Ry!" He said his glasses immediately fogging up as the heat mixed with the cold air outside. Ryan laughed hard and Greg shoved him. Ryan let him take off his own hat and gloves. Greg always had an independent streak about him. His curled masses hung low over his brow and he frantically tried to push it back into some semblance of order. He hated being even slightly mussed up. Even back then his style was impeccable. He needed a mirror and quickly. He studied his reflection in the mirrored sled hanging on a hook in the hallway, once satisfied he could relax. Ryan shook his head. He pushed Greg ahead of him and doing so he collided with Colin. Greg stopped short and blushed as Colin did. "Hey, Col." He squeaked out. His hands still lightly resting on his chest. "Hey, Greg." Colin whispered back at him. He reached up to straighten Greg’s glasses that had gone askew.  
  
“Come on’. If you two girls are finished swooning over each other,” Ryan said looking back at the two of them full of mischief. “Let’s get your junk upstairs so we can eat.”  
  
Both Greg and Colin always seemed a little out of place around the big house of the Stiles. They came from quiet families. Greg being a single child, mostly kept to himself. Colin being an older brother of two younger siblings, really only took on the role of protector, or mimicking Ryan’s older brother who sat quietly at one end of the table as well. The rest of the family was a circus. There were long limbs and body parts everywhere amidst the food that was being passed around. Ryan always had to coax the other boys into relaxing and it didn’t take long, but it was the initial breaking of the ice that always left him slightly nervous. He still didn’t let it bother him though. It was Christmas Eve. His friends were here with him, and he knew them. He knew that they were happy, no matter how they appeared to look at the moment. An elbow shoved Greg in the ribs. “HEY…” He yelped. “Here ya go four eyes.” One of Ryan’s brothers said shoving a bowl of spaghetti underneath his nose.   
  
Greg was ten and in his short ten years he had heard it all. “Real original, man” He said taking the bowl. For a skinny, scrawny kid he may have had a bigger appetite than the rest of them. He piled his plate and passed the bowl to Colin, who silently accepted it his finger brushing over Greg’s skin making him involuntarily shiver. He dug into his food and forgot about it.  
  
Colin who was 14, and the oldest of the trio, wanted to find a way to say something in Greg’s defense but he knew that before he could say anything, Ryan would jump in as always. True to form, Ryan got up and slapped his brother upside his head playfully. “Knock it off.” He said plunking himself on the other side of Colin, making him the filling of a skin and bone sandwich. Ryan was lean and lanky and tall, ‘not much to keep anything warm’, Colin thought musing into his plate of food. He didn’t have much, because again, he was on a diet his mother thought best to put him on. He had a little pudge around the middle but he just wrote that off as his hibernation fat. He chuckled and sighed at his own inside joke.  
  
Ryan leaned over and whispered into Colin’s ear just loud enough to be heard over the ruckus of the room. “Are you ok?” Despite all his nonchalance, he really was concerned if his best friend was having a good time at his house. He had learned that saying nothing was Colin’s way of expression and that in saying nothing, Colin spoke volumes. But Ryan always had to be sure. It was his nature to do so. He needed to hear it. Colin always accommodated with a shy dimpled smile and a nod of his head. He liked the feel of Ryan’s security close enough to him to keep him steady, and his warm breath on his ear sent trembles up his spine.   
  
The rest of dinner was a blur. But the house was warm and cozy and everyone was fat and full. Ryan’s mom and dad retreated to the kitchen to clean up and make hot apple cider and gingerbread cookies. The boys wanted to go outside. Ryan’s mom said it would be ok but that they needed to hurry back and get ready for bed before Santa came. Ryan looked with eyes as big as silver dollars at his mom, but Greg just rolled his eyes. Colin looked quietly at the floor.   
  
“Uh…Mrs. Stiles.” Greg said in his whiny voice. I hope you aren’t doing that for the sake of me. I stopped believin’ in Santa when I was six.” Ryan looked at him oddly. He scratched his head and tugged at his ear. Ryan’s mom tousled Greg’s hair.   
  
“Now that is a shame, m’lad.” She said chuckling when Greg frowned and ducked his head away from her hand. She went over and kissed her son on top of his forehead. “Ryan will just have to convince you that he does exist and that he will be arriving in our town tonight for all good little…or in some cases – she said indicating Greg who was sneering in disbelief at Ryan and sticking his tongue out at him- not so good little boys.” She went back into the house and flicked the porch light on.  
  
Walking down the street under the lamplights the boys made their way down to the park at the end of the block. They took turns kicking piles of snow that had accumulated at the end of peoples’ driveways and throwing a haphazard snowball or two. Greg always trying to play it cool and pulling it off like his idol Buddy Holly, hooked his thumbs in his belt loops, and strutted like a chicken down the street.   
  
“Hey, Ry…” He said poking the taller boy in the back. Ryan had been chasing Colin in a circle trying to give him a white wash. Colin was much too fast. “Ryan stop it…” He said narrowly avoiding his long fingered grasp. Now was the time Colin really felt comfortable in the presence of his friends.  
  
“Yeah what is it, Greg?” Ryan said stopping putting his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. Colin leaned against a telephone pole laughing, the wisps of breath hanging in the cold night air.   
  
“Your mom’s not serious is she?” He said going over to stand beside Colin. He leaned against the same pole trying to gather some warmth from the body beside him. Colin leaned into him slightly. Greg’s coat was kind of thin, and his hat was a little threadbare. Greg smiled at him almost dopily but regained his “tough guy” exterior. Colin looked down at him fighting back the urge to take a deep breath and inhale his scent so close to him now. He looked back at Ryan, curiously wanting to know the same answer.  
  
“Of course she is! Hey guys…don’t tell me you don’t believe that Santa isn’t going to show tonight!” Ryan said coming to stand in front of them. He was 12 years old and Santa was as real to him today as he had been when he was five. He fancied he understood the big man more as he got older. He couldn’t fathom why everyone else had such a hard time with the facts. He studied his two friends as they leaned against one another trying to stay warm in the brisk night air.  
  
He put a long arm around Greg’s shoulder and gave him a ‘noogie’. “Come on, Greg! How else do you think all your loot gets under the tree?” He pushed Greg ahead of him and took Colin by the hand. They went through the entrance of the park and headed straight for the rusty merry-go-round in the back of the park. It was covered in snow and they began to dig around it, clearing away just enough so that they could spin it.  
  
They worked hard at it for a good ten minutes, finally clearing away enough snow to flop down on their backs and stare up into the night’s sky. They panted hard with their efforts. Their cheeks blazing bright red, their nose a-glow like Rudolph’s. The millions of stars twinkling above them lit the ground with a soft white glow.   
  
The merry-go-round was small and they each had taken a section their heads resting against one another’s in an odd triangle, their legs dangling off the sides. They began to push the merry-go-round in a lazy circle, still trying to slow their rapid breathing. It was deathly quiet in the park. The snow created quite a damper on the outside noise. They listened to each other’s breathing, lost in their own thoughts.   
  
“What do you think, Col?” Ryan asked after a moment or two of letting the merry-go-round glide them in a dizzying circle, letting the stars go blurry.   
  
“I think…Santa is as real as you want him to be Ry. I haven’t seen him so I don’t know. I know a guy existed a long time back named Saint Nick, but I know I’m too old to think that he’s still around these days.” Colin held onto a cold metal pole as Ryan took one of his long legs and pushed off again sending the merry-go-round on another spin.   
  
“Yeah, but he’s magic.” Ryan said firmly, still not convinced.   
  
“You’ve got to be kidding me, Ry!” Greg spoke up holding on tight to a pole and his black-rimmed glasses that threatened to fly off of his face. He couldn’t afford to lose this pair, or damage them. He certainly didn’t want to go around school with a piece of white tape around the bridge. He felt his stomach lurch and dinner was easing its way back up his throat. “Stop this thing!! I want off.” He whined nasally.   
  
He lurched over to a park bench and slumped down on it. He pulled something from his pocket. The other two boys watched him curiously and approached sided by side. “Whatcha’ got there Greg?” Ryan asked him trying to see what was underneath his gloved hand.  
  
Greg produced an almost empty pack of his dad’s cigarettes and showed them to Ryan and Colin. They had smoked before, but it had only been once or twice. Greg was starting to make it a real habit. “Want one?” He said arching his eyebrow at the other two. The others looked nervously around them expecting some adult to show up and haul them away by their ears. Seeing no one, they each nodded hesitantly.   
  
Greg fished out 3 nearly bent cigarettes and an old lighter he had swiped from his dad that barely had any fuel left in it. He handed one to Colin, who tried to get a hold on it in his mittened hand, he settled on taking one of them off. Ryan took his and held it like someone holding a joint, rather than a cigarette, pinched between his thumb and forefinger. Greg looked at them and shook his head. He expertly pursed his lips around his cigarette and flicked the lighter just so that the flame shot out and up on the tip, barely blowing in the frosty night air. He lit Ryan’s and Colin’s with the same precision and watched them take their usual tentative puffs on them, still uncertain about being caught.  
  
Greg sucked in on his deeply and blew it out through his mouth. He had watched his father blow smoke through his nose and although he had been doing this for a while, he wasn’t quite ready for step two. It did feel good though the smoke warming his insides. He laughed when the others coughed several times still getting the hang of it. “Good stuff hey guys?” He said going to Colin and patting him on the back, seeing his dark brown eyes watering up.  
  
“Yeah, but I don’t see how we’ll get used to this.” He said not wanting to finish it, but not wanting to be a chicken about it either. He looked over to Ryan who was smoking like a locomotive. He was puffing his cheeks in and out, not inhaling all the way, exhaling very hard. Greg went over to him and put on his best Captain Kirk. He did quite well for a ten year old. “What…are…you….doing?” He said making Ryan almost spit the cigarette out and into the snow.   
  
It didn’t take long for them all to get into the swing of things and they enjoyed the last bit of their forbidden pleasure, smoking them down to the filters. Greg looked over at Ryan who had rested his arms against the picnic table on the bench they were sitting on and he was looking dreamily at Colin. Colin was sitting on the opposite side of the table his elbows propped up and his chin resting on his hands. He had a thoughtful look on his face as if there was so much going on in his mind that his meticulousness would not allow him to speak until he had it straight. Ryan just watched him intently. He loved how Colin could say so little and so much at one time, and Ryan fancied he knew exactly what was going on in that head of his, even if he didn’t have a clue.  
  
Greg looked between them and felt at home. He didn’t feel lonely when he was with them. He didn’t feel afraid of other kids picking on him when he was around, even though he knew his mouth could take care of him if things got to bad. That mouth that also got him into trouble on more than one occasion. Here he was safe. Ryan with sheer height alone intimidated most kids, even those years older than himself. And Colin had a quiet force all his own about him that let people know that you didn’t want to push all his buttons. Greg had never seen him really angry, and he really didn’t think he wanted to.   
  
He just wouldn’t be Greg though if he didn’t have a little fun at his friend’s expense, and what better way to put this Santa theory into effect than to shake the tall goof up a bit and see if he could get Mr. Shy guy rattled as well. “So…Ryan,” He said, his snarky grin spreading across his face. “What do you think the jolly man with the white beard would have to say about what we just did?” He moved like a cat stalking its prey over to the bench and sat down next to Ryan very much in his personal space and folded his arms across his skinny chest. He pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled sweetly at Ryan mischief in his mirrored depths and waited Ryan’s reaction.   
  
Ryan looked at him trying to put two and two together then realized exactly what Greg was referring to. “Oh no…you…you’re right!” He said with a gasp. “We…we shouldn’t have smoked, Greg. Now we’ve done it! There won’t be any presents at all tonight.” Ryan started to worry his gloved hands darting his eyes between Greg and Colin. Colin put his finger to his lips, and stared at Ryan. “Greg…” He said with a warning tone. Ryan had started to panic.   
  
“Oh man…I know he’s gonna skip our house now. We shouldn’t have done that! I’ve waited all year and I really wanted that skateboard.” Colin stood up and came over to the other side of Ryan and sat beside him on the bench and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s ok, Ry…Greg is just jerking your chain.”  
  
Greg sat there and continued to grin. His eyes twinkled in the starlight. He was just warming up. He liked to see Ryan vulnerable and scared sometimes. For the amount of teasing he endured from him he needed to get a little of his own back, besides it wasn’t as if he could help himself. “Geeze, man…take it easy. I’m sure Old St. Nick’s gonna excuse a little naughtiness out of you big guy. It’s not like you haven’t done worse things this year. And it’s not like you couldn’t do worse things tonight.” Greg said the gleam in his eye glowing. Ryan looked at him confused, but he was willing to bet there was going to be a dare involved somewhere and sometime soon. He wasn’t disappointed.  
  
“What are you getting at, Greg.” Colin said with his usual exasperated patience. Greg flicked his eyes over to Colin and smiled gleefully again rubbing his hands together. He was starting to get antsy, but he wanted to see how far this would go. If he was going to make his Christmas bright he wanted to make sure everyone was on board with the idea. He didn’t want to spend the night shivering alone in his sleeping bag on the floor for letting his mouth get him into too much hot water, once again.  
  
“I dare you…” Greg started.   
  
Ryan popped his knuckles inside his gloves. They heard the cracks in the still night air and realized how tense the situation was becoming. Colin’s grip on Ryan’s shoulder tightened. Greg always was merciless at dares. It could be anything, and no one wanted to wus out to a little punk kid, so they usually wound up playing along.  
  
“I dare you to stick your tongue on that metal tether ball pipe over there,” he said jerking a thumb behind him.  
  
Ryan exhaled his breath blowing it right into Greg’s face falling icily on his nose and cheek. “Nothin’ doin’ man.” He said at the same time Colin said “Come on, Greg, you know what happens.”   
  
“Alright…Alright!” He said relenting after several pokes to the ribs and a few snowballs lobbed in his direction. “OWWW…Hey…shit…” He said as one hit him in the face. The other two laughed at him and then dusted him off making sure that he wasn’t getting too upset.  
  
“Ok…you don’t have to lick the pole, Ryan.” He said returning to Ryan’s side. He got as close as he could to the heavy winter coat, that encased the thin body in front of him. He brought his face close to Ryan’s and with a real sense of bravery, breathing the same air as his older friend, whispering along his frozen cheek and looking into eyes that were becoming anxious and anticipating, he said softly…”I dare you to kiss Colin…again.”  
  
Instantly the atmosphere changed between the three. This was another danger zone that was only experimented with in the briefest of instances, in the fleeting of moments in the crazy curiosity that drove most kids to do stupid things. The way Greg’s intense gaze bore into Ryan’s own, told him that this time meant something different, something more. Ryan swallowed hard. He looked at Greg and tried to read the meaning in his eyes and he saw behind the false pretense of joking that there was something like need and a desire to see it happen.   
  
He felt the body behind him tense up as well. Colin sat ridged on the bench his front pressing against Ryan’s back before, now eased slightly away from him, unsure if he should be so comfortable now. He looked over Ryan’s shoulder at Greg who looked up at him and could have sworn he saw a tear swimming in his eye. “Why…” He mouthed to Greg who clutched at Ryan’s coat. His hands fingering the rayon material. He looked up and over his glasses now shyly at Ryan, as if he wanted him to say no to Colin but yes to him. But it was Greg’s sense of observation the need to see the other’s that won out over his own need.  
  
Ryan looked down at Greg and came to his decision. The face in front of him was so compelling. Ryan could never really resist anything Greg would come up with, and even though Ryan was a leader, he would follow Greg anywhere. And Greg, the youngest of them all had a stronger hold on any of them and he knew it. And he loved them for it.  
  
Ryan turned on the bench and looked at Colin. He gulped again. Colin’s dark brown eyes darkened more, and his breathing quickened. Ryan tried to play it cool. Colin’s calm exterior was no more. He remembered how he felt the last time he was in this same position and he remembered the feelings that came with it and his palms began to sweat once again, but thankfully they were now covered in warm woolen mittens. He rubbed them against his jeans, nervously.   
  
Ryan licked his cold lips and felt Greg as he tucked himself underneath his arm so that he could get a better view. “I think…we could do that…” He said trying to ask silent permission from Colin. “Right…Col?” He said his voice rising an octave. He sighed. What a time for his voice to start changing.   
  
“Sure…Ry.” Colin said so softly he could barely be heard by the other two. His eyes were on Greg as Ryan brought his cold lips closer to his own. He then turned his attention to Ryan as he felt the cold press of wet lips on his own, tentative and inexperienced.   
  
Greg looked at Colin fiercely, watching as his eyes half-lidded feeling Ryan’s lips on his own. It was just an innocent press of their mouths and in seconds it was over with, but it had left them breathless

. 


	2. Chapter 2

“NO…That’s not how you do it!” Greg said jumping up from the bench and out of the circle of Ryan’s arms.

Ryan and Colin were still looking dazed into the other’s eyes. Ryan was inches away from Colin’s mouth thinking about the feel of his lips cold and papery on his skin. It made him flush with heat and he didn’t understand why. Colin looked at him a dreamy smile playing on his cupid shaped lips. 

Greg’s ranting broke their spell. He was hopping up and down in the snow almost looking like Rumplestiltskin after the princess guesses his name. They both laughed in his direction. They shook their heads clearing the hazy cobwebs waking up from their “dream.”

“Alright wise ass,” Ryan said, growing bored of all this girlie business. “What was wrong with it?” He slung his arm over Colin’s shoulder and waited on Greg’s explanation.

“You think you’d know, watching the amount of TV we all do.” Greg said pacing. “My mom and dad kiss each other better than that and they hate each other.” Greg said staring at the ground kicking at a clump of grass that had decided to poke through the snow. Colin looked at him with sympathy. 

“Well suppose you show us how it’s done then, Greg.” He said quietly, moving away from Ryan and staring seriously at his younger friend. He thought in his mind that all Greg was really after was just some comforting. It was his own way of asking for it. Greg looked at him, with a sad hope in his eye. He had stopped fidgeting and had come to rest in front of the two, standing before them still trying to get warm. The cold had been eating its way into his jacket and although he worked himself up into a good hopping mad state, it was not going to be good enough. He did want to try and warm up another way. The warm inviting look of his friends made him sigh.

“Alright…” He said, raising an eyebrow at Colin. They shared a small secret look between them. Colin nodded at him and Greg understood. He crossed over to Ryan boldly and took his face in his hands staring into his eyes. Ryan smiled nervously a lopsided ‘You’ve got to be kidding me’ grin and Greg dramatically with only a second’s hesitation brought his lips to Ryan’s and mashed them hard against the other boy’s. He moved his head round and round in circles locking Ryan’s head in a death grip.

Ryan began to flail his arms, flapping them like a bird and talking at the same time as Greg continued to scrub his lips over his own. “OOWOWOW…Greg STOP!!” He pushed the little brat into a pile of snow.

Greg sat there laughing, clearly beside himself. “What…WHAT Ry! That was great! You should have seen the look on your face!” Greg stood up, now shaking as the wet snow seeped into his jeans.

Colin chuckled under his breath and shook his head at his friends. “We gotta get back guys, it’s almost time and I’m freezing my balls off out here.” They nodded agreeing with him. 

They left the park, shouldering close to each other now. It was getting so cold outside, that they all had one thought in mind. The warm, toasty house and snuggling under heavy blankets. Greg’s teeth were chattering he was so cold. Colin went over to him and without word, opened his coat and pulled him close to his chest. He would have done the same for his brother or sister, he reasoned. Greg soaked up his warmth and looked at him with grateful eyes. They walked on in silence until they reached Ryan’s door. 

Ryan had been walking ahead of the two of them. He was thinking about kisses and what they meant. Colin’s kiss, like the one he had given him before, made him feel a certain way inside. He didn’t feel funny, or odd or weird about it at all. It was quite pleasant really. He could count how many times on his fingers that he had actually done it, so it wasn’t like they did it all the time, that would make him uncomfortable, or so he thought. Greg was just an annoying pest that took everything meant to be serious and ruined it. He should have known Greg would joke around with something like that. He glanced behind him seeing the two boys extra close to one another and a strange feeling came over him. He was happy. But he felt left out, like on the outside looking in on something he didn’t understand. He shrugged and opened the door to his house and the other two ran to catch up.

Later in Ryan’s room, he finally had a room to himself, his older brothers doubling up and sharing rooms of their own, the trio were happily lying on the floor reading comic books and munching on a bunch of Christmas junk food that would certainly leave them up all night with stomach aches. Ryan had intended to prove his point about Santa and he bet the other two that he would catch him in the act.

It was around midnight when Greg’s eyes began drooping and he was finding it harder to stay awake. He kept shaking his head, his little poof of hair bouncing along, as he tried to force his eyes to stay open. Colin looked across the pile of comics at him and smiled warmly at him. He looked over at Ryan who was beginning to fair no better. He was leaning against the bed a bag of chocolate Santas by his side and a comic on his lap. His eyes were closed and his neck lolled to one side. Colin stood up and went over to Ryan putting his hands under his arms and hoisting him up. “Come on, big bird.” He said tugging him uselessly. As thin as he was he still weighed a metric ton, Colin mused. 

“Huh…wha? Don’t wanna go to school…ma!” Ryan mumbled in his sleep. He let Colin pick him up and flop him over the bed. He was wearing cowboy pajamas and he looked so much like Howdy Doody, Colin had to keep from laughing out loud every time he looked at him. 

After he got Ryan situated, which was no mean feat, he turned, panting with exertion, to see the top of Greg’s curly head as it rested on his arms. He was snoring softly and Colin thought he looked so very vulnerable just then. His thin arms in a white t-shirt nothing warmer to cover his skin, his eyes traveled down his scrawny back to his too big for his body, sweats. His said his mother always liked to buy a size up so he could grow into them, but Colin kinda thought that there was more to the story than met the eye. It didn’t look like Greg would ever grow and it made Colin sad. He thought back to how much Greg ate at dinner. And the looks that he gave Ryan and his mother as they talked about Santa and how generous and giving he is.

Colin went over to Greg and put a warm hand on his back. “Greg…come on.” He said softly, gently shaking him. Greg moaned and rolled on his side. Colin grinned at Greg’s glasses cocked off on his face. He took them carefully and put them on the nightstand by Ryan’s bed. He went back to Greg and lifted him effortlessly in his arms. Greg woke up struggling momentarily, as if fighting in a dream. 

“What? Wait…STOP!” Greg twisted in Colin’s arms and Colin held onto him firmly so he wouldn’t hurt himself. “Oh…Oh Col…” Greg said cutting his words and then settling when he saw who was holding him. Colin patted him on the shoulder and led him over to the bed, carefully easing him down beside Ryan. Ryan rolled over and threw an arm over Greg’s chest. Greg laughed and struggled under the dead weight, giving up and opening his arms to Colin. Colin flicked off the lamp light and lay down next to Greg, tentatively avoiding his arms and dragging the big quilt to cover them all up and get snuggly warm. 

“Colin…” Greg whispered to him in the darkness. 

“Yeah, Greg?” Colin said in sleep muted tones. 

“Will you kiss me goodnight?” He said a little whine at the end of his question, his words full of hope. 

Colin studied him. He looked at the sleepy little boy in front of him and sighed blowing a warm breath over his cheek that smelled of hot cocoa and Greg snuggled into his embrace.

“Greg…”

“Just one more time?” Greg said shyly. 

Colin looked over to Ryan’s sleeping form, his body rising and falling in the very deep slumber that had come from a junk food induced coma. He touched Ryan’s cold fingers still draped over Greg’s waist. Ryan’s body was warm but there never seemed enough circulation of blood to reach his hands. He held his hand warming it in his own and closed his eyes. 

Greg brought his lips to Colin’s now, soft and warm, wet and inviting. Colin whimpered when Greg’s lips touched his, keeping his own pursed tightly in hesitation. He clutched at the thin t-shirt and held his breath. 

Greg patted Colin’s hair, calming him. His mind was racing ahead of him. He liked to kiss Colin but he was still frustrated in his results. He moved his head slightly and brushed his lips softer as soft as he could against Colin’s mouth, trying to express just how he felt about him, but not really knowing how.

Colin squeezed Ryan’s hand and relaxed gathering strength from the long-tapered fingers he held onto. He moved his head. Greg’s lips felt like feathers on his lips and he wanted something firmer. He decided it was up to him to do just that. He leaned into Greg, gathering him in his arms and kissed him back putting more pressure into his actions, causing Greg to gasp against his mouth. They broke away panting. Colin looked down at Greg and smiled, then ruffled his hair. Greg snuggled deep into Colin’s chest and promptly fell asleep. He never felt more secure than he did at that moment. Ryan snuggled into the warmth of his back, pressing into him and Greg smiled his last thoughts were of feeling loved, and it was a good feeling indeed.

He awoke to the sound of jingle bells somewhere outside the window. It was an incessant shaking a droning of jingle bells and he grumbled in his sleep. He was hot and sweaty between two bodies that held onto him tightly. He pushed himself up and out of the little cocoon that was created for him and untangled himself from the limbs surrounding him. He groped for his glasses but could not find them so he blurrily felt his way over to the window beside the bed, pressing his nose against the cold glass. His breath created foggy circles on the pane that ordinarily he would waste time drawing smiley faces into but he couldn’t mistake the sound he had heard. 

Something red was blinking fuzzily in the front yard. He rubbed his eyes and the blinking didn’t disappear. He startled at the sound of a thumping outside of the bedroom door. His heart raced in his chest and he turned toward the doorway. He heard more jingle bells closer this time and saw the door knob to the bedroom start to turn and a small shaft of light as the door began to open. Greg in all his disenchanted youth couldn’t be quite for certain if seeing was believing but he was not willing to risk the fact that he may be wrong. He dove back under the covers and slammed his eyes shut. He heard the footsteps enter the room, the jingle bells tinkling softly. Greg peeked over his covers and saw a shadow at the end of the bed. He trembled and felt as Colin instinctively pulled him closer. “Col...” He squeaked, barely a whisper, dying in his throat.

The sound of jingle bells left the room and Greg eased away from Colin’s grasp and went back to the window pane. He saw with his blurred vision several large shapes out on the lawn and a bigger shape moving toward them. Greg cried out. “Ryan, Colin…WAKE UP WAKE UP!! He heard a few confused murmurs behind him and he grabbed both of their pant legs and tugged hard. 

“What…What is it…Greg??” They both shot up in bed and rubbed the sleep out of their eyes. Greg was bouncing excitedly. “LOOK!!” He cried pulling them over to the window. Three noses were now pressed to the glass just as the forms in the grass started to move and gather speed. Whatever it was flew up and over the house and they could have sworn they heard a voice call out “HO HO HO…Merry Christmas!!!” They all collapsed back on the bed in awe and wonder. 

The next morning all three woke up thinking that they had had the same dream. Each was eagerly telling what they had seen and heard. Greg was the most excited. Ryan smiled widely and his eyes proud and happy. “See, I told ya, runt.” He said with a laugh. They went downstairs and saw the piles of presents stacked up around the tree. The boys all exchanged their gifts looking at the others hoping they’d like what they received and opened presents with the rest of the Stiles family. When they had finished Ryan took one last look around the tree and spotted a gift with a name tag on it. It read To: Greg From: Santa. Greg’s eyes lit up at the gift and Colin smiled again, his dimple pressed permanently into his cheek. Inside was a new scarf and hat, both red and underneath a joke book. Something he had been asking for a very long time. 

Greg smiled at his two best friends and clung to his gifts. “Maybe…he thought, “Maybe I’ll give Santa another chance.”


End file.
